Falconry Trapper Needed

Texas Parks & Wildlife - Falconry

Dear Ms Xxxxxx,

Up until yesterday it was a mystery to me why I was losing so many of my miniature seramas and other quality chickens from my property.  They seemed to be getting randomly abducted on a weekly basis.  We've lost 11 so far. It was almost like some kind of chicken abduction from the mother ship was taking place as they often vanished without a trace. I always saw a couple feathers but could not determine the cause as they are in molt right now.  I also noticed random dove carcasses laying about on or near my property and wondered if there was some kind of weird dove bird flu going around and killing them off. You know, the kind of flu that causes a dove's head to fall clean off. Completely baffled, I was at my wits end to determine just exactly what or who was taking them and causing all this bloody bird carnage near my property.  It proved futile.

Yesterday, completely by chance, my neighbor spotted a bird in the back yard pecking the ground.  He told me I had a hawk back there.  When I looked I said it was just a rooster that had gotten out again.  But after another look I noticed that this rooster was on a killing spree from all the feathers flying up in the air. Apparently we witnessed what looked like a red tail hawk trying to take a chicken carcass from my property. When it saw us it took off but dropped the carcass on the ground.  I stayed out there in the back yard just awestruck at the size of this magnificent bird hoping my presence would be a sign that I was protecting my flock.

Before I continue, I have to be honest, I never really knew much about raptors before today and this being yesterday when I was dumb I thought that being out in the backyard attempting to deter him from killing more of my flock was a good idea. But now I am I bit smarter because I discovered via direct experience that it really wasn't a good decision after all. A few moments later this hawk is apparently very upset that my neighbor and I are standing out there in the back.  It started circling the property and perching in the trees to gain a better vantage point of us. Suddenly without notice or provocation it started to make a couple low passes above our heads at very high rates of speed and from directions that could not be predicted.  I don't think I am over exaggerating when I say this bird was doing 2 or 3 times the speed of sound. But it was definitely on us before we heard a sound.  I'm not really sure. It was at this time I started feeling like standing out in the open wasn't such a good idea and suggested that we were possibly now the ones being hunted. So I told my neighbor to get under shelter and we went under the porch roof just to make sure we wouldn't become its next victims.  The last we saw of this bird it was perched on a tree about a half acre away staring us down as if it were plotting a battle campaign on how to flank the enemy from the rear, disable the combatants and plunder the spoils of war.

Unfortunately I have no experience with raptors.  While they are truly magnificent creatures they are causing a great amount of frustration regarding security with my small free range livestock poultry flock, my small pets and now, my family and friends.

I know you are out of the office today at a seminar but I am wondering if you could provide me a list of names of registered and experienced falconers in Galveston county area when you return.  I know that they possess enough knowledge and experience to safely handle these protected species so that they can get them safely relocated.

Thank you.